Dmitry Shparo told journalists Tuesday that the runners in the Great Russian Race had covered 10,000km out of an 11,000km route, and had so far run from Russia's Pacific Ocean port of Vladivostok to the Volga River city of Nizhny Novgorod.
The goal of the project is to promote sport and a healthy lifestyle, Shparo said. "The run is not being done for the runners, of which there are 250 British and 120 Russians, but for those who will be joining us in the regions," he said, adding that there had been a massive response along the way.
The British organizer of the event, Richard Haldane, who is also running, said the event promoted both sport and supported charities, as runners were collecting funds to help Russian children.
The Great Russian Race began in Vladivostok on May 28, and is scheduled to end on September 8 in St. Petersburg. The race is divided into 15 "sectors", each of which takes around a week to cover.
The World Race Trust in association with Dmitry Shparo's Adventure Club organized the race, and sponsors include numerous Western and Russian companies, and the Russian Federal Agency for Physical Culture and Sport.
